Burson-Marsteller Celebrates 30 Years of Trendsetting History as the First Multinational PR Agency in Puerto Rico
B-M's Social Media Leadership to be highlighted @ Puerto Rico BloggersCon

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications consultancy and the first multinational public relations agency to establish operations in Puerto Rico, celebrates its 30 years as a trendsetter in the industry with a series of special events highlighting Social Media Relations, one of its top competencies which has earned accolades from clients and local social media experts.

Under the leadership of Sarah Lora, the Burson-Marsteller Puerto Rico team provides its clients strategic Evidence-Based Communications services and the access to a worldwide network. This network is paramount for companies like Ford Motor Company and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Ford and Burson-Marsteller raised the bar in Social Media Relations with the innovative strategy and execution for the launch of Ford Fiesta in September 2010.

Living in the age of digital communications demands continuous research to understand the impact of technology and continue to set trends. Recently the Puerto Rico office released the results of the "2010 Latin America Social Media Study" which examined the interaction of the top 20 local companies with their audiences in the social media arena (see http://www.slideshare.net/BMGlobalNews/latin-america-social-media-checkup), and currently the office is leading a regional research piece that promises to shed light into the mind of social network influencers.

"Dedication to the principles that distinguish Burson-Marsteller and relentless tenacity, are two of the qualities that makes our Puerto Rico team successful in their design and implementation of strategies for our clients," said Santiago Hinojosa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Burson-Marsteller Latin America. "The satisfaction of our client partners and their continued success is the best indicator that the Puerto Rico office is one of the strongest performers in the region."

The Puerto Rico office brought to the market the Digital Bootcamp, Burson-Marsteller's social media signature corporate training event. The Bootcamp is a one day seminar primer about the application of social media in the Public Relations arena. Furthermore, B-M Puerto Rico pioneered the Digital Checkup, an in-depth analysis of the health of the various digital properties of a company vis-a-vis with their competitors.

"30 years ago, Burson-Marsteller brought to Puerto Rico a new era in public relations and we have been blessed with a legacy of progressive leaders and their excellent client work. Today we center our strategies on Evidence-Based communications," said Sarah Lora, general manager of Burson-Marsteller Puerto Rico. "Borrowing from Carlos Gardel who said 'Twenty years are nothing', we say, 30 years is nothing compared to what is coming."

Burson-Marsteller Puerto Rico is going forth leading a brave and ever changing new world of digital communications and social media relations. As part of the various activities planned to commemorate its Pearl Anniversary, Burson-Marsteller will be the title sponsor of the Puerto Rico BloggersCon, an event that will gather the top bloggers and social media influencers in the Island and bring them together for a day of brainstorming and conferences that promise to further their relevance as communicators in the market.

"Our first two years were a successful labor of love and now it is time to lead the conversation towards facilitating the understanding on how crucial social media is to the relevance and growth of companies," said Jose Hernandez Falcon, creator and organizer of the Puerto Rico BloggersCon. "The creativity of the Burson-Marsteller team promises to open doors for bloggers and companies alike so they can benefit from each other as a day full of surprises unfolds at BloggersCon in May."

Burson-Marsteller's social media relations expertise and its outstanding media relations outreach are crucial to local clients such as Ford Motor Company.

"I have been working with Burson-Marsteller throughout my 30 years at Ford and their work has always made Ford shine. In Puerto Rico, the launch of the Ford Fiesta was a success thanks in part to our partnership with Burson-Marsteller. Their methodical and passionate leadership helped us to reach out to young audiences through social media networks creating a strong and meaningful dialogue," said Waldo Galan, Managing Director Ford International Business Development Caribbean & Central America Region. "We are looking forward to continue to expand our footprint in social media circles and we count on our communication partners to facilitate the process."

The versatility and expertise of the B-M Puerto Rico team expands beyond the confines of the Island, leading a multi-country team in Latin American to execute campaigns such as "The New Color of Money" for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and, as part of the Multicultural B-M team in charge of the U.S. Hispanic market for Transitions Optical.

Soon the office will be announcing a series of additional activities to celebrate its anniversary including a VIP event and the release of local research and thought leadership pieces.

About Burson-Marsteller

Burson-Marsteller (www.burson-marsteller.com and www.latam.bm.com), established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and communications firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising and web-related services. The firm's seamless worldwide network consists of 67 offices and 71 affiliate offices, together operating in 98 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP (Nasdaq: WPPGY), one of the world's leading communications services networks.